If, in the end, things go sideways at quarterback, then the Vikings will need to hit reset going into 2027. Quite possibly, that will involve moving on from Kevin O’Connell, but that’s a bit of speculation for a different day.
Who would the passer be to compete for the job if things fizzle?
Right now, Kyler Murray is looking to overcome J.J. McCarthy for the QB1 job. Next up is Carson Wentz, an elder statesman who is in town as an ideal QB3. Wentz can get inserted with essentially zero preparation before doing a nice job; Minnesota values that reality. Otherwise, Max Brosmer is the young fella being developed slowly, but his likeliest spot is on the practice squad.
A future where none of these passers are around beyond the current year is unlikely but not impossible.
Seattle’s Jalen Milroe as The Passer to Watch in 2027
In March of 2025, Minnesota said goodbye to Sam Darnold; Seattle then said hello to Sam Darnold. The rest is history (as they say).
The old GM got canned. The new GM came to town after doing tremendously well with the Seahawks. Already, the effort to improve the roster has involved bringing over talent from the Seahawks. Most of that has occurred around the edges of the roster, but do note that three of the four new players have a connection to The Emerald City.
Does that path back to the Pacific Northwest involve snagging Jalen Milroe?
The backup passer for Seattle isn’t going to usurp Darnold. The 29-year-old quarterback led his team to a Super Bowl victory while pushing Jaxon Smith-Njigba into the conversation for best WR in the NFL. He’s close to untouchable. Milroe can continue hanging around as an upside backup but that may not be the best use of the young arm for more than just another year or two.
Quite possibly, a trade will occur.
Chosen at No. 92 in the 2025 NFL Draft, Milroe is far from a lock to develop into a strong QB1 in the NFL. Part of what he has going for him is the history of soaking up wisdom from a strong starter while getting coached up by Mike Macdonald’s impressive staff.
Consider what was said about Milroe going into his draft by Lance Zierlein of the NFL’s website: “Milroe is an explosive athlete who is very capable outside the pocket, but he lacks accuracy, touch and decision-making when he’s inside the pocket. A lack of anticipation and timing leads to interceptions and contested throws to intermediate areas of the field. He has an NFL arm, but he might need to fine-tune his footwork and delivery to improve accuracy on all three levels. He can get through his reads when he’s confident and feels protected but becomes predictable and easier for defenses to manipulate when he’s rattled.”
More: “He’s built like a Will linebacker, runs like a receiver and is a threat to hit the home run on called runs and scrambles. Milroe was a much better deep-ball passer in 2023, but his 2024 regression makes it harder to project success from the pocket at a high enough rate to become a capable NFL starter. A strong arm and elite speed will have teams intrigued, but if he doesn’t make it as a starter, it’s incumbent upon his team to find a way to get the ball in his hands with packaged plays.”
Talented but raw, Jalen Milroe will have benefited from watching and learning without the starter’s spotlight. Maybe that will serve him well.
Nolan Teasley will know the passer well. So, too, will he be getting a good understanding of the in-house talent in Minnesota. There’s essentially zero chance of a swap during 2026. What could occur, though, is a future trade.
Seattle doesn’t appear likely to keep Milroe over the long-term since Darnold has worked out so well. Trading Milroe is a way to recoup value from the QB-starved NFL.
Minnesota doesn’t have much certainty beyond the reality of promise. The current quarterbacks are talented and are in the midst of a battle. If anyone emerges from the passers to put the starting position into a stable spot remains to be seen.
Jalen Milroe, 23, is going into his sophomore season. Teams will be calling to see if he’s available before too long.
